For far too long, the Christian church in its various traditions and strains has largely swept the heinous sin of sexual assault under the rug. Sexual abuse has often been ignored or, worse, covered up in some instances, leaving victims to suffer its effects alone as they wrestle with how to get past the hurt and shame and move forward.
Justin and Lindsey Holcomb have taken a significant step toward bringing this issue out of the shadows in their book Rid of My Disgrace: Hope and Healing for Victims of Sexual Assault (Crossway). As you’ll hear in this interview, Justin is an Episcopal priest who was a victim of sexual abuse himself, which is why he speaks and writes about the horror of this sin with genuine empathy and a clear passion to help others who have been victimized.
What qualifies as sexual assault? Why hasn’t the church done more to help victims? What should you do if you’ve been abused in this way? Are there ways to spot and avoid potential sexual abusers? Listen as Justin addresses these questions and more in an interview that is, in some respects, heartbreaking, but ultimately aimed at being helpful.
